VR tools have taken the gaming world by storm, but an application that keenly interests Materialise is the potential of virtual reality for multidisciplinary collaboration and education. For medical training, visualization in virtual reality could serve as the perfect supplement to 3D printing. Here are three benefits VR/AR setups can bring to a hospital’s training program, and three pitfalls to watch out for.

Multicolored 3D-printed anatomical models allow for an easier differentiation between tissues compared to models printed in only one color. Here is an outline of how you can achieve multicolored 3D-printed anatomical models by just using transparent resin.

Jonathan M. Morris, M.D is a neuroradiologist at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, U.S. and has been using 3D Printing for 16 years. At the Materialise World Summit, we had the pleasure of watching Dr. Morris give a breathtaking keynote presentation. He captured the audience with stories of his own experience with Medical 3D Printing and 3D visualization, and what's been done since the lab's implementation at Mayo Clinic over the past eight years.

Picture this. It’s morning. A patient walks in a clinic, experiencing knee pain at every step. That same day, the same patient walks home, without the pain from before. The patient just had a total knee replacement operation.

Orthopaedica Belgica hosted orthopedics experts and 600+ participants at their yearly event in Brussels not so long ago. It featured an entire morning session on pre-operative templating in total shoulder arthroplasty. Here are highlights from presentations that were focused on 3D planning and patient-specific implants

Imagine being called a freak all throughout your life. It’s exactly what happened to Carlos Askew. Born with hemi-facial microsomia, the 21-year-old Kiwi never fit in, no matter how hard he tried. Growing up, the youngster preferred hiding behind the mask of his favorite superheroes instead. Until consultant maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Derek Goodisson (New Zealand) used TruMatch® CMF 3D-printed patient-specific titanium implants to mitigate his facial deformity. This pioneering operation was a first in New Zealand and, more importantly, enabled Carlos to face the world anew.

Digital pre-operative planning for challenging procedures can increase the chances of a successful and more predictable outcome, as was the case for a female runner who suffered a displaced right femoral neck stress fracture that failed to heal with conservative treatment. To improve her quality of life, the orthopaedic trauma surgeon and assistant-professor of orthopaedic surgery Dr. Samir Mehta, MD used Materialise OrthoView to pre-operatively plan a valgus osteotomy for femoral neck fracture non-union.

3D Printing has come a long way since the inception of the technology. It has gone from being used almost uniquely for prototypes in industrial environments, to enabling the creation of highly complex, customized medical devices that help physicians provide their patients with better treatment options and a higher level of care.

The Sint Maartenskliniek (SMK) in is the only clinic in the Netherlands specializing in posture and movement. Its reputation attracts patients from all over the country, for treatment of simple or complex orthopedic disorders. The clinic’s long-term relationship with Materialise brought them to a significant milestone not so long ago. This is the story of a case that led the way to the 70th aMace case for SMK.